The meeting was positive. I expressed to the Mayor, Jim Darling, City Manager Roy Rodriguez, Commissioner Richard Cortez (former Mayor), Commissioner John Ingram (Civic Center District 5 rep) Attorney Kevin Pagan that the Texas Historical Commission has determined that the McAllen Civic Center is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Federal, State and Local Tax credits are available. I brought a book with me that illustrates the Iconic McAllen Civic Center. Mayor Jim Darling looked curious to know more about it. The book is Buildings of Texas, Central, South and Gulf Coast by Gerald Moorhead. with James W. Steely, W. Dwayne Jones, Anna Mod, John C. Ferguson, Cheryl Caldwell Ferguson, Mario L. Sánchez, and Stephen Fox University of Virginia Press.

The purpose of the public comment was to express our concerns about demolition and that we support of McAllen’s Historic Preservation efforts and feel that the McAllen Civic Center merits the opportunity to explore historic preservation efforts as well and that we would be happy to consult with the owners to help explore various options in a workshop that would help ensure the preservation of this remarkable building. We expressed that although McAllen has seen some other significant buildings demolished, that McAllen also has a history of preserving and repurposing historical buildings such as the following:

5. the Old Main Library built in 1954 (repurposed into the McAllen Creative Incubator)

6. an old Walmart turned new Library (although not historical but the attitude taken to repurpose has won a national AIA award and keeps bringing McAllen to the spotlight.

7. and finally the historic Guerra St. otherwise known as S. 17th Street many buildings preserved, rehabilitated, repurposed, recycled and/or given new life – like the Patio on Guerra Restaurant/Bar (former grocery store), Historic Cine El Rey 1947 and other historic buildings that have created value, cultural and entertainment diversity as well as economic development. I praised commissioner John Ingram for voting against the demolition of the old Central Fire Station and hope that the rest of the commission joins him in this attitude of trying to preserve another landmark. I know McAllen can continue moving forward with civic responsibility as demonstrated in these efforts to preserve and restore McAllen’s historic resources.

I offered a few ideas that have been brainstormed by petitioners from www.change.org Preserve McAllen’s Civic Center: Integrate not Distintegrate Initial Ideas from petitioners –

1. Programmatically it makes sense to re-purpose the auditorium into a modern IMAX theatre with the possibility of partnering with IMAS’ Smithsonian Institute.

2. Programmatically it makes sense to breathe new life into it as an alternative late night music venue for live bands or amplified concert destination in keeping with a night life and regional destination.

3. Possibly parts of the old exhibit hall can be turned into apartment/lofts/hotel space for families coming from out of town to shop at La Plaza Mall. After shopping hours they could attend events or IMAX movies in the auditorium

4. A Blue Star Arts Complex type destination still with high-end retail, restaurants, bars, arts, living and studio spaces as well as hotel, theatre and parking garages.

5. Integrate existing Auditorium into the 7 acres of surface parking that is available for Mixed-Use Development.

6. The gaming industry continues to grow. Possibly introduce a gaming and entertainment theme tied to the Comicon aficionados.

7. Incorporate an international conglomerate arts & culture given the growth in consulates from central America and the Philippines where they could display international shows. These are just some ideas that we offer in beginning a workshop. We simply ask that they include us in the next City of McAllen agenda of Monday August 8, 2016 for a pause in the process, schedule a workshop and show the developer that we are solutions oriented.

I got the impression that they appreciated our passion for our city, its history and cultural resources. Commissioner Richard Cortez applauded our professionalism, passion and respectful demeanor. He thanked us for caring. I spoke to Mayor Jim Darling after the meeting and he indicated that he would express to the developers our petition for a workshop. The Texas Historical Commission encourages the developers to consider taking advantage of State and Federal preservation tax credits to rehabilitate the building. THC staff would be happy to consult with the owners to help explore various options that would help ensure the preservation of this remarkable building.

McAllen artist and art collector Ann Maddox Moore built this amazing modern house, designed by Merle A. Simpson, in 1959. Nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac that backs up to the Louisiana-Río Grande Canal Co.’s main canal, which ran parallel to S. 2nd Street, the one-story, post-beam-and-deck house is extraordinarily simple. A honeycombed solar […]

Architect Max Burkhart’s house attests to his involvement with concrete construction in the 1960s and 1970s. Burkhart founded Valcon, a Pharr construction company specializing in concrete tilt wall construction, with Farris O. Shannon in 1963. The one-story courtyard house is entered through a canopied porte-cochère-carport roofed with concrete umbrella vaults supported on extremely thin columns. […]

This is a design – build project conducted in partnership between Texas Southmost College Architecture Program and Brownsville Healthy Communities and bc Workshop. A two week design phase was completed by a group of ten (10) students from TSC Architecture Program as one of their Design Studio II service learning projects. A committee of professional […]

Thanks to preservation conscious developers like Jim Snyder of Elm Tree Partners, LLC the Lubbock, Texas Post Office & Federal Building will soon be a mixed-use residential complex. The building will house 24 apartments, and will preserve architectural features like windows, flooring, stairways and ceilings. This past month of May, I had the privilege of […]

Juan O’Gorman designed this modern building for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in 1937. I had the opportunity of visiting this past month of February 2016. The place is incredible! industrial and modern even today. Large windows are the center piece of the building and the second floor bridge connecting both buildings ideal even for […]

One of the two grandest houses built in Brownsville in the Depression decade was this country house, designed by Brownsville architects A. H. Woolridge and Frank E. Torres for Katherine Barnes and S. Miller Williams, Jr., of Tulsa OK. Williams and his brother founded a construction company that eventually specialized in steel pipeline construction. The […]

In his free time Brownsville Heritage Officer Roman McAllen, Assoc. AIA, a graduate of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin, has rehabilitated a pair of dwellings for himself and his wife, Lisa, and also for his mother, Sybil Baytes McAllen, and brother Mark. The recycling of these houses demonstrates the […]